Air India Express will see the highest capacity addition among all airlines in the winter schedule, with a 46 per cent year-on-year increase in weekly domestic flights, while SpiceJet will see the sharpest drop, with a 39 per cent reduction in flights.
Domestic airlines have planned 25007 flights per week - that is 3572 daily flights in the winter schedule, which begins on October 27, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said today. This is an increase of 5.37 per cent over scheduled flights last winter and a 3 per cent increase over the ongoing summer schedule. While airlines are reintroducing flights to Puducherry in the winter season, Pakyong and Tezu airports ( in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, respectively ) are falling off the aviation map.
2023 saw an 8 per cent year-on-year increase in scheduled flights in the winter season. This year, planned capacity addition is lower amidst ongoing supply chain challenges. While SpiceJet has seen a reduction in its fleet, deliveries of Boeing aircraft have also been fewer due to regulatory issues and the workers’ strike.
IndiGo is scheduled to operate 13691 flights per week in winter — 54 per cent of all scheduled flights. Its planned schedule is 4 per cent higher than last winter.
SpiceJet will operate 1,297 weekly flights - 39 per cent lower than the previous year.
Air India Express, which completed its merger with AirAsia India earlier this month, is scheduled to operate 2382 flights a week, which is 46 per cent higher than last winter.
The no-frills brand of Air India has added 34 aircraft in a year, and its fleet count stands at 88. It plans to increase its fleet to 100 by March 2025.
Regional airline Star Air plans the second-highest capacity growth, adding 45.75 per cent more flights than last winter.
Air India and Vistara are set to merge on November 12, and their schedules have been approved separately now. Post-merger, Air India’s weekly flights will see a 12 per cent increase over the previous winter.